History
of Equine Sports Massage Therapy
Sports therapy and massage was developed for sports related careers and the overall health and well-being of people and animals. Therapeutic, hands-on massage has long been recognized for its ability to increase circulation, relax muscle spasm, relieve tension, enhance muscle tone and increase range of motion.
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In the late 1970's, Jack Meagher - whose contributions to this discipline in athletics earned him the title of "Father of American Sports Massage" - began applying massage techniques to thoroughbreds. The results were so outstanding that Jack soon found himself as a valued member of the U.S. Equestrian Team.
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The subsequent introduction of sports massage to thoroughbred race horses followed during the late 1980's. Following Jack's methods the continuation of his therapy was introduced by two of his students: Craig Denga and Mary Schreiber. Mary Schreiber is the founder of Equissage, Inc the certification program for Equine Massage Thereapists. Mary has been featured in "Sports Illustrated", "Equus", and has been seen on ABC TV. Her curriculum concentrates on the techniques of Jack Meagher.